'Chemical Ali' execution to be held in Kurdistan: Iraq official

[JURIST] Three former officials from Saddam Hussein's regime, including Hussein's cousin Ali Hassan al-Majid - known in the Western media as "Chemical Ali" [BBC profile; JURIST news archive], will likely be executed in the Kurdish cities of Irbil or Halabja if their death sentences [JURIST report] are upheld by the Appeals Chamber of the Iraqi High Tribunal [official website], an Iraqi official said Tuesday. The trio, including former defense minister Sultan Hashim Ahmad al-Tai [TrialWatch profile] and former deputy director of operations for Iraqi armed forces Hussein Rashid al-Tikriti [TrialWatch profile] were all convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity for their role in the slaughter of tens of thousands of Kurds during the 1988 Anfal Campaign [HRW backgrounder]. Al-Majid was convicted of an additional count of genocide. If their sentence is upheld by the Appeals Chamber, it must be carried out within 30 days.

Al-Majid has repeatedly denied the allegations [JURIST report], saying that he does not know who used chemical weapons or "if they were ever used." Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein [JURIST news archive] was also a co-defendant in the Anfal genocide trial [JURIST news archive] before he was executed in December 2006. AP has more.

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